‘Amazing Spider-Man 3’ And ‘4’ Officially Announced

Even though Amazing Spider-Man 2 hasn’t even come out yet, Sony went ahead and officially announced that Amazing Spider-Man 3 and Amazing Spider-Man 4 will go ahead with production anyway, with release dates in 2016 and 2018.

The Amazing Spider-Man 2, Marc Webb’s follow-up to 2012’s Amazing Spider-Man, won’t hit theaters for another year on May 2, 2014. But Sony apparently has enough faith in the franchise to green-light ASM 3 and 4, to be released two years apart in 2016 and 2018, respectively.

Specifically, Sony announced that The Amazing Spider-Man 3 will hit theaters on June 10, 2016, while The Amazing Spider-Man 4 will follow in 2018 on May 4.

“Spider-Man is our most important, most successful, and most beloved franchise, so we’re thrilled that we are in a position to lock in these prime release dates over the next five years,” said Jeff Blake, Sony chairman of worldwide marketing.

The first Amazing Spider-Man grossed over $752 million worldwide after release last July. The sequel is one of the most highly-anticipated films of 2014, with director Marc Webb teasing the film’s development with almost-daily updates on Twitter.

The film will see Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone reprising their roles from the first film.

Newcomers include Shailene Woodley as Mary Jane Watson, Jamie Foxx as Electro, Paul Giamatti as Rhino, Dane DeHaan as Harry Osborn and Chris Cooper as Norman Osborn.

With Sony’s announcement, it’s hard to say what will come next for the Amazing Spider-Man franchise. The return of Garfield is probably a given (at least for 3) as well as the return of Woodley and perhaps DeHaan and Cooper.

Emma Stone’s return is unlikely (for comic book continuity reasons, but you never know). Marc Webb’s spot as director may also not be guaranteed for the sequels.

What do you think? Did Sony announce Amazing Spider-Man 3 and 4 too soon, or do you think the films will continue to be relevant in 2018? Sound off!